LEAD: The San Diego County Bar Foundation (SDCBF) awarded $448,500.00 to 24 local nonprofit organizations in its ongoing mission to increase access to justice across San Diego County. These grants reflect the Foundation’s decades-long dedication to providing legal services, public awareness education, and improvements to the region’s justice and court system.
BACKGROUND: Since the Foundation was formed in 1979, it has distributed over $5 million to more than 50 nonprofit organizations providing services to underserved populations within San Diego County.
QUOTE: “The work of these organizations is demanding and essential,” Foundation President Deborah Dixon remarked. “The SDCBF is honored to support their work through these donations.”
GRANT AWARDS: These grants are made possible by contributions from San Diego’s legal and business communities and in partnership with the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA).
“Due to a number of large donations from the SDCBA, the foundation has been able to make grants totaling over $1 million to fund indigent criminal defense programs.” Foundation ICD Grants Chair Brain Funk remarked. In 2022 the Foundation awarded Indigent Criminal Defense Fund (ICD)grants totaling $230,000 to the following organizations, The Center for Employment Homeless Court, National Conflict Resolution Center, St. Vincent de Paul Village, Think Dignity, and Uprise Theatre.
In addition to the ICD grants, the Foundation awarded an additional $218,500 to the following organizations, The American Bar Association Fund for Justice, California Rural Legal Assistance, Cal-Western Community Law Project, Casa Cornelia, Center for Community Solutions, Community Resource Center, Elder Law & Advocacy, Free to Thrive, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Interfaith Community Services, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, La Maestra Family Clinics, Legal Aid, License to Freedom, Pillars of the Community, San Diego Justice Foundation, San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Survivors of Torture International, and Voices for Children.
“Providing access to justice is at the heart of what the SDCBF does, and these grants will go a long way to providing that access to those most in need in San Diego County,” said Kyle Overs, Foundation Grants Chair.
CALL TO ACTION: For more information about the San Diego County Bar Foundation or to make a donation, visit www.sdcbf.org.
ABOUT SAN DIEGO COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION: The San Diego County Bar Foundation is the charitable arm of the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA). Through this partnership with the San Diego legal community, the Foundation aims to benefit underprivileged communities in the region by providing them with access to support, funding, and public service programs with legal services. The Foundation’s beneficiaries include more than 50 legal aid and public interest organizations.
Media Contact:
Marcel Bourdase for San Diego County Bar Foundation
(619) 231-7015 / info@sdcbf.org